All introverted geek girl Syl Skye wants is to get close to her girlfriend. But when you can kill with a simple touch, a normal date night’s not really in the cards.
As it happens, Syl is also a sleeper-princess of the fair Fae. Last year after a freak accident, her power Awakened, granting her white flame to purify the darkness.
Rouen Rivoche is that darkness—a dark Fae princess whose power to bewitch mortals is as terrifying as the violet lightning she controls. Rouen is Syl’s total opposite. Her mortal enemy.
She’s also Syl’s beloved girlfriend.
And even though they joined forces to defeat the evil Circuit Fae who harnessed the killing magic in technology to take over the school…that was so last year.
Now, Syl’s touch could mean Rouen’s death. Her increasing power is spiraling out of control, threatening to burn down everything she and Rouen have built together.
Similar to the first book in the series, Moribund, I couldn’t put this down! I was hooked from page one. The book begins with Syl and Rouen trying to get two seconds of peace to have a normal date. They don’t get many since they are Fae princesses and are busy cleaning up from events after Moribund. Syl is learning to control her newly awakened powers, which can destroy Rouen so she’s at risk every time she’s near Syl. Throughout all this, they are the only two who can destroy the Ouroboros so they have to fight near each other. Enter the fair Fae prince to declare Syl should be his queen and it’s just another obstacle for Rouen and Syl to overcome together.
Syl and Rouen face old and new enemies but always have each other’s back. There’s more action and witty dialogue in this book. Rouen is still teaching Syl how to use her powers and they keep up the flirty banter throughout. As soon as you feel like everything is fine and the characters are safe, bad things happen and Syl and Rouen have to get up and fight again.
This book has one of my favorite scenes in the series (it’s near the end and it’s so good!) and it’s so difficult to put down. There is so much tension and so many conflicts that you just want Syl and Rouen to have two seconds of peace. Like in Moribund, the action rarely slows and there are plenty of action scenes.
A goth-rock show. An innocent train ride. That’s all it takes for high school sophomore Syl Skye’s perfectly normal world to come crashing down. Why? Because this train holds the infamous Rouen Rivoche, a dark Fae assassin bent on murdering Syl. This is one journey that should end in tragedy, not two people falling love. Then again, whenever the Fae are involved, there’s no telling what will happen…
This novella gives background on the major event that sets Moribund in motion and shows how Syl and Rouen first met (there are literal sparks).
I really enjoyed this novella, mostly because it gives more background on Rouen and I kind of love her sassiness. It shows how she’s been fighting the Contract forced upon her and goes deeper into her relationship with Agravaine. It also shows how Syl has been adjusting to her new life after a few personal changes have happened.
In the first chapter of the Dream Read Repeat podcast, we give you an introduction to Dream Read Repeat, a project from a collective of book enthusiasts. Then we discuss books we’ve been reading, books that surprised us, and what we’re reading next.
Some books named and discussed in this chapter include:
Gentleman’s Guide to Vise and Virtue by Mackenzie Lee (historical fiction, LGBT, MLM)
Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand (thriller/horror, LGBT, WLW)
The Dark Wood by Sydney Mann (fantasy, indie)
Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas (fantasy, new adult)
One of us is Lying by Karen M. McManus
Beartown by Fredrik Backman (contemporary, #MeToo)
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirly Jackson (mystery/thriller, gothic)
Soulless by Gail Carriger (steam punk, paranormal)
The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin (historical, contemporary)
Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan (fantasy, middle grade)
High school sophomore Syl Skye is an ordinary girl. At least, she’s trying to be. School photographer and all-around geek, she introverts hard and keeps her crush on sexy-hot glam-Goth star Euphoria on the down-low. But when a freak accident Awakens her slumbering power, Syl is forced to accept a destiny she never wanted—as the last sleeper-princess of the fair Fae.
Suddenly hunted by the dark Fae, Syl’s pretty sure things can’t get any worse. Until she discovers her secret crush, Euphoria, is really a dark Circuit Fae able to harness the killing magic in technology. Even worse, she’s been sent to destroy Syl. With mean girls and magic and dark Fae trying to kill her, it’ll take more than just “clap if you believe in fairies” to save Syl’s bacon—not to mention, her heart.
I love this series! I’m usually not into urban fantasy, but I got this book when it was free because I wanted to try a new fantasy series. I ended up purchasing the other books in the series before finishing the first five chapters.
In this book, Rouen and Syl deal with figuring out their feelings for each other while Rouen is under a Contract of Blood and Bone to kill all fair Fae princesses. The problem? Syl is the last fair Fae princess. I love the tension this creates between the two. Rouen tries her best to protect Syl but at the end of the day, when Agravaine uses her true name, she has to obey the Contract. That puts Syl in a lot of danger because she just found out she’s a Fae princess and doesn’t have full control of her powers.
The dialogue is witty and I laughed out loud several times. It was difficult to put this book down. I stayed up late because I needed to know how Rouen and Syl got out of trouble. The story moves quickly and the action scenes are amazing.
Most of the story takes place in Virginia but you get a glimpse of the dark and fair Fae worlds (you learn a lot more about these worlds in the later books).
Author: Susan Dennard Series: The Witchlands #3 Reviewer: Community
Summary
High in a snowy mountain range, a monastery that holds more than just faith clings to the side of a cliff. Below, thwarted by a lake, a bloodthirsty horde of raiders await the coming of winter and the frozen path to destroy the sanctuary and its secrets.
The Bloodwitch Aeduan has teamed up with the Threadwitch Iseult and the magical girl Owl to stop the destruction. But to do so, he must confront his own father, and his past.
I don’t even know where to begin with this one. We travel to various places in the Witchlands, get confirmation on some questions raised by the earlier books, and leave with even more questions. I loved Safi and Iseult (again), but I can’t get over Vivia’s story. I admire her more every book. Aeduan is obviously amazing in this book, too, since it centers around his arc. He has some tough choices to make as he struggles against his beliefs and feelings.
Marlou
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Bloodwitch was grandma’s apple pie, a new pair of shoes, breakfast for dinner, it was the small things in life that bring you joy.
Leslie
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
I was already in love with Vivia’s character from Windwitch, but this book really pushed me off the deep end. She and Vaness, WOW is all I can say. Then, of course you pick up with Iseult and Aeduan (and feisty Owl), and it is everything an awkward thrown together, type of family can be in the best ways. Plus, every character is pushed to their limit, forced to find themselves, sometimes even without or in spite of the magic that has been in their veins since as long as they can remember. I love a little bit of character suffering (okay, maybe more than a little bit) in order to show growth, and this book captured that perfectly.
Inopnion
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
We as readers occasionally experience a giddiness of spirit, you know that feeling. When something tickles you so much you blabber to anyone that will listen, and they look at you like you’re a bit touched. You know that feeling. This book gave me this feeling over and over. Not only does the narrative follow the most mysterious and enigmatic would-be villain I have ever witnessed on a page, but it dares you not to love him. Aeduan’s level of self-loathing, his complete conviction in his own monstrousness is counteracted by vulnerable moments of pure kindness and sacrifice. Just like Merik’s journey in Windwitch made me ache and hope for him, this book revealed the complex depths of a deluded Hufflepuff. Not to mention, this book has even more action, chases, fights, etc. than any of the other books in the series. It’s non-stop and always with a purpose.
Author: Susan Dennard Series: The Witchlands #2.5 Reviewer: Community
Summary
Before Safi and Iseult battled a Bloodwitch…
Before Merik returned from the dead…
Ryber Fortiza was a Sightwitch Sister at a secluded convent, waiting to be called by her goddess into the depths of the mountain. There she would receive the gift of foretelling. But when that call never comes, Ryber finds herself the only Sister without the Sight.
Years pass and Ryber’s misfit pain becomes a dull ache, until one day, Sisters who already possess the Sight are summoned into the mountain, never to return. Soon enough, Ryber is the only Sister left. Now, it is up to her to save her Sisters, though she does not have the Sight—and though she does not know what might await her inside the mountain.
On her journey underground, she encounters a young captain named Kullen Ikray, who has no memory of who he is or how he got there. Together, the two journey ever deeper in search of answers, their road filled with horrors, and what they find at the end of that road will alter the fate of the Witchlands forever.
Set a year before Truthwitch, Sightwitch is a companion novella that also serves as a set up to Bloodwitch, as well as an expansion of the Witchlands world.
This book is structured differently than the others. It’s more of a journal but it’s fun to read, especially with the visuals that accompany the text. I loved learning more about Ryber and how the Sightwitches fit into the larger picture of the Witchlands series. I’m also very rule-oriented like Ryber so I felt her struggles. We also learn a lot about Kullen and get a glimpse into the past. All of this helps set up events for future books while also confirming some questions from the earlier books.
Marlou
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Sightwitch was a starry night sky, a surprise dinner with a loved one, a destination you always wanted to go, it proved the extraordinary was possible.
Leslie
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
OMG! I love epistolary novels and this one was a winner. Being given scraps of books, handwritten notes, sketches, and more, I couldn’t stop turning the pages. This book builds the background for things in the series as a whole, takes us into one of the characters’ POVs even deeper, and manages to continue deepening our understanding of where the series is going.
Fox
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
It broke my heart to lower the rating for this book, because it is so, so close to 5 stars, but I found some parts a tad bit confusing because of the switching POVs. I loved the historical aspects, but it took me too long to start to care for that plotline, as I was more interested in its connection to the present timeline of Witchlands. The book has terrific illustrations and sketches, which add a lot to the story. It would have been an amazing graphic novel or even a full novel, for example, but as a novella, it was just too short for me to get fully immersed in.
Some moments in Sightwitch are really intense and dark, which once again proves how good of a storyteller Susan is. Her writing style just gets better with each Witchlands book, and I don’t want the series to ever end. Ever!
Sightwitch is incredibly important for the series as it explains certain things that happen in Windwitch, and it just blew my mind when I got to that part! I couldn’t get over it once I finished the book and my urge was to immediately pick up Truthwitch and start my re-read with a different perspective.
In spite of its timeline preceding Truthwitch, Sightwitch is not a prequel and should be read after Windwitch and before Bloodwitch – and not in any other order.
Inopinion
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
If I could give this a six, I would. This book, though it be short, and though it be mis-labelled as a novella and a “companion” is in itself a remarkable piece of storytelling and an integral part of the series. It cannot be stated enough times how important it is to read this book before Bloodwitch!
Ryber seems such a minor character after Windwitch – the heart-thread of Kullen and member of the crew. And then Susan flips your assumptions on your head and reveals the Sightwitch Sisters and their cloistered community, Ryber, and her thread-sister, Tanzi.
This book includes one of the most epic chases in fiction or video games with all the imagery required to feel like you’re there every step of the way. Filled with riddles, game play, rules to follow, it’s like entering a bonus round only to exit understanding it was the key to completing the entire challenge. The more I linger on this book, the more it places itself in my top five of all time.
Author: Susan Dennard Series: The Witchlands #2 Reviewer: Community
Summary
Sometimes our enemies are also our only allies…
After an explosion destroys his ship, the world believes Prince Merik, Windwitch, is dead. Scarred yet alive, Merik is determined to prove his sister’s treachery. Upon reaching the royal capital, crowded with refugees, he haunts the streets, fighting for the weak—which leads to whispers of a disfigured demigod, the Fury, who brings justice to the oppressed.
When the Bloodwitch Aeduan discovers a bounty on Iseult, he makes sure to be the first to find her—yet in a surprise twist, Iseult offers him a deal. She will return money stolen from him, if he locates Safi. Now they must work together to cross the Witchlands, while constantly wondering, who will betray whom first?
After a surprise attack and shipwreck, Safi and the Empress of Marstok barely escape with their lives. Alone in a land of pirates, every moment balances on a knife’s edge—especially when the pirates’ next move could unleash war upon the Witchlands.
Things start off quickly in this one! We follow Merik more than the other characters, and I’ll be honest, I really needed resolution after reading Truthwitch the first time so I rushed Windwitch. I enjoyed this book more the second time since I took my time and picked up on some larger clues I missed before. We also see Vivia’s perspective (she’s Merik’s sister and definitely one of my favorite characters in the series). Merik isn’t one of my favorite characters, but he definitely has an interesting arc.
Marlou
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Windwitch was rain pouring harshly on the roof, butterflies in my stomach, seeing your friend after a while apart, it was coming home home to a loving family.
Leslie
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
While this one wasn’t my favorite of the series, it definitely begins to show the repercussions from Truthwitch and the implications that those events will have on the rest of the series. It was also wonderful to get more POV chapters here and I am totally already in love with Merik’s sister, Vivia. In Truthwitch, we are presented with certain pieces of information, but with Windwitch, it becomes clear that maybe what we thought was an absolute, really isn’t and we need to shift our understanding. Again, this is some deep stuff for a YA series to tackle, and it is done beautifully well.
Fox
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Windwitch is my most favourite book in the series. Perhaps, because when I am writing this, I am yet to read Bloodwitch, but even then I can’t ever imagine anything make my heart squeeze so much.
The second book in the series is expanding the world once again and giving us more POVs. I did not expect to change my opinions on some of the characters, but I did as we were giving other sides of the story (e.g., Vivia and Merik relationship). I loved this book, even though it ripped my heart apart and I just kept screaming internally till I got to the last page. And then I had to scream some more because the wait for the following installment in the series seemed endless.
Let me add that the cover is stunning and I can’t decide if I like US or UK version better. It has my most favourite season as the backdrop for Merik, and I always feel happy when I look at it.
Author: Susan Dennard Series: The Witchlands #1 Reviewer: Community
Summary
In a continent on the edge of war, two witches hold its fate in their hands.
Young witches Safiya and Iseult have a habit of finding trouble. After clashing with a powerful Guildmaster and his ruthless Bloodwitch bodyguard, the friends are forced to flee their home.
Safi must avoid capture at all costs as she’s a rare Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lies. Many would kill for her magic, so Safi must keep it hidden – lest she be used in the struggle between empires. And Iseult’s true powers are hidden even from herself.
In a chance encounter at Court, Safi meets Prince Merik and makes him a reluctant ally. However, his help may not slow down the Bloodwitch now hot on the girls’ heels. All Safi and Iseult want is their freedom, but danger lies ahead. With war coming, treaties breaking and a magical contagion sweeping the land, the friends will have to fight emperors and mercenaries alike. For some will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.
I discovered Truthwitch when I was just venturing into YA because I need more diversity than adult fantasy was providing. Truthwitch did not disappoint and I ended up ordering the sequel, Windwitch, before even finishing the first five chapters. I fell in love with the characters and world. Safi and Iseult were the characters I needed. There is action, great dialog, and lots of worldbuilding. The ending hurt, but luckily Windwitch was already out so I could dive right in.
Marlou
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Truthwitch was the light at the end of the tunnel, the breeze on a hot summer day, a warm jacket on a chilling winter night, it was everything I never knew I needed and more.
Leslie
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
This was the first time I read a YA book and was truly blown away by the depth and world building that was done. You can definitely tell that Susan Dennard had put so much thought and time into creating this epic series that each page left you with either an awesome, action-packed scene, a detail that builds the world, or a great character building scene. Many of the scenes and chapters accomplished all three of those! While some YA readers may not be interested in building a world this rich and deep in their minds, for those of us that are, this is the book (and series) that you have been waiting for.
Inopinion
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Probably an unpopular rating among a group of Dennard-loving Witchlanders, but I was not as blown away by Truthwitch as I was the other books. What I loved the most about this book and the way this series started was the connection with Iz and Safi – it’s instantaneously apparent that not only are they great friends but they strengthen each other in unique ways. Safi is impulsive, Iseult balances her with her careful planning and caution. Iseult wants to slip by unnoticed and could get stuck in one place doing one thing and never truly live, but not with a best friend swindling people at cards! They are magnetic.
And the world is so HUGE. It’s bigger than big. It goes to the edge of the book and beyond always leaving more to uncover. I really appreciate the vastness of the history, the politics, the landscapes, the cultures, but it’s also what made the first book difficult and confusing. On a re-read, I had no problem seeing all the pieces click into place, but on the first go-through, I recall an inner dialog that basically said, “Forgive the unknowns, these girls are great.” So I mention this personal hiccup to ready the uninitiated, the world is there and it’s big and confusing and cluttered with variations but that’s also what makes it feel authentic and magical. It’s definitely something that I appreciated more with each new book, but it was overwhelming in the first.
Fox
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
I fell in love with this world from the very first page. Having grown up reading big adult fantasy books, I was thrilled to find a Young Adult novel with such a vast world and complex politics (some of which did go over my head during the first reading, I must admit). My note on GoodReads for Page 46 says “I’m squeaking! Because I like everything so far!”.
That was back in early 2016 when I was still very new to YA books and Susan’s writing in particular. Unlike some readers, I didn’t have issues with the world complexity, but I struggled to connect with either Safi or Iseult. I loved them both together, but separately they were just not working for me. Hence, the 4.5 star rating. (There were also some repetitive sentence structure that was rubbing me off wrong at times, but I later came to appreciate it.) Once I read Windwitch, my opinion on several characters has changed dramatically, so I am not going to hold it against Truthwitch. It is a fantastic book one in the series. I just sometimes wish it was longer and more adult.
P.S. Chapter 38 still makes me cry. I was devastated after reading the ending. And it still has the same effect on me, even though I have read other books in the series.
I devour books. Between three kids, teaching, writing stories about the people in my head, and eating as many baked goods as I can, books help keep me sane. My favorite genres include YA/NA fantasy and sci-fi, but I’m also a huge fan of the classics and anything that features complex characters and/or the enemies-to-lovers trope.
Kerry
Author, librarian, fangirl – not always in that order.
I read manga like I drink diet Coke – every day, all the time.
Finja Marie
The three things that make me the happiest are probably cute owls, my family, and books. While I lived with my family for my entire childhood and got the chance to raise a little owl called Maxi during a voluntary year, the only thing left for a career were the books. So that’s why I chose to set my foot into the (German) publishing industry, and this is where I am now. Talking about stories is my happy place – not only the stories on paper, but also the ones brought to us on screen through television and video games. I already dabbled into the blogging world before, at least in the German community; but that doesn’t really work out well if you are reading English books almost exclusively. When I’m not reading or gushing about said reads, I can most certainly be found working on a cosplay or playing the piano.
Charsier (Beck)
I started my love for reading in Primary School back in the 90’s, and would really enjoy when MS readathons came up, since I would time myself reading. I was allowed into the teachers section of the library too. (I may have read a horror novel one time.) I’m pretty in love with magic, and human/fae human/alien sort of books. (Magic user partner etc) I’m more into Mass Effect than Dragon Age, but more into WoW than Starcraft. I play DnD with my family on Monday nights, and I am a parent. I draw, and I’m writing my own book (slowly) . She/her/they/them. Bi and Intersex.
Sifa Poulton
By day, Sifa is science student darting from physics to chemistry lectures, all the while trying not to get knocked off her bike. When free from equations and labs, she’s a blogger, reader and writer. Her preference is anything fantasy – though preferably with political overtones and lush world-building.
Inopinion
As I write this, I’m tempted to make it in the third person, but I suppose that’s the first thing to know about me: I’m not usually one to talk about myself. As a transplant to the Great Lakes region of the United States, I often find myself escaping into books to process my life. Let’s not kid ourselves, the real world can be a scary (or boring) place, so I tend to take my fiction with a side of magic, or at least a healthy dose of escapism. Expect to see me writing reviews for both science fiction and fantasy YA but also, adhering to my personal mission to read broadly, books that I selected at random from my library’s offerings.
Renee
I’m a Hufflepuff, gamer, supporter of the Starks, and completely obsessed with Disney. I grew up in the southwest and now live in the northeast. My favorite book genre is fantasy, but I occasionally read books in other genres. I can be bribed with ice cream and/or the middle of brownies (hold the edges please).
Fox
I am an avid reader, YouTube creator, and a self-published author. Fox is my spirit animal. I spend my days juggling a corporate job, two teaching jobs, a dozen or so of social media accounts, a blog, and a YT channel. Desperately wishing for a Time-Turner. Permanently glued to my iPhone. Invisible illnesses are real. #DiversityLove Who needs sleep?
Marlou
I am a writer, a reader, a fangirl, a dreamer, sarcastic all the way, and fantastic every day.
Sydney
I’m a Gryffindor, an occasional writer, and a lover of stories. My favorite genres are fantasy and sci-fi but I enjoy venturing out into all sorts of genres from time to time. When I’m not reading (or watching movies/television or playing games) I’m most likely to be found playing one of my three instruments (piano, viola, harp) or drowning in a pile of grad school homework.
Natasha
Natasha is a middle school librarian who fully recognizes her TBR will only grow exponentially. Talking books with anyone is her favorite pastime, though she did start exercising while listening to audiobooks so she could be “health conscious.” When not reading or talking books, Natasha spends time with her two kids and family, picking up various hobbies before ultimately abandoning them because they inevitably cut into her reading time. She hopes to travel one day to the UK, and Europe, but figures for now Epcot is the closest she’ll get for a long time.
Webookingloveit
Hello everyone! We are Webookingloveit! We are two sisters from the UK who love all thing bookish and live to be cosy! We are suckers for pretty covers and happy endings, and have a preference for YA fantasy . You will find us exploring the bookstagram community on Instagram under our name @webookingloveit.
Want to know what genres we prefer or which books were out favorites of 2018? Go to the About Us page and find out more!
Dream Read Repeat 